5 Signs You're A High-Masking Autistic With ADHD (AuDHD Expert Explains)
7/6/202648 min
Dr Khurram is a world-renowned, award-winning psychiatrist and the author of Explaining AuDHD.
In this episode, he explains what AuDHD (Autism + ADHD) really feels like beyond the diagnostic labels, why so many people spend years masking their traits, and the emotional cost of living without understanding themselves.
We explore the hidden signs of AuDHD, why so many people feel broken, misunderstood, and lonely, how an AuDHD diagnosis can transform relationships and identity, and what it truly takes to stop masking and start thriving.
Chapters:
00:00 Trailer
01:43 The AuDHD contradiction nobody talks about
04:14 What people with AuDHD are terrified of being judged for
06:29 The AuDHD assessment Dr Khurram will never forget
07:37 What almost every AuDHD adult blames themselves for
08:32 Why so many people with AuDHD think they're a bad friend
10:01 The hidden danger of never finding your AuDHD tribe
10:34 Why masking AuDHD is so exhausting
13:43 The most heartbreaking part of living with AuDHD
16:22 Why loneliness feels different with AuDHD
19:10 Why partners often misunderstand AuDHD
22:07 Tiimo advert
23:59 5 hidden signs you're masking AuDHD
25:03 How an AuDHD diagnosis changes relationships
30:13 The moment you realise your whole life was masking
34:45 What AuDHD burnout really feels like
36:45 The true cost of never unmasking AuDHD
39:08 Stop fighting your AuDHD brain
40:56 Why so many people with AuDHD believe they're broken
45:07 If you were diagnosed late, you need to hear this
45:42 The hardest part of living with AuDHD
47:10 A letter to my younger self
Dr Khurram on LinkedIn 👉 https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dr-khurram-sadiq
Dr Khurram’s book 👉 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Explaining-AuDHD-Guide-Autism-ADHD/dp/1804369489
Dr Khurram on Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/fomosapien666/?hl=en
Book to see Dr Khurram in clinic for an ADHD assessment 👉 https://adhdhealthclinic.co.uk/adhd-treatment-options/in-person-adhd-assessment/
For an Autism assessment 👉 https://adhdhealthclinic.co.uk/autism/in-person-autism-assessment/
For a combined ADHD and autism assessment 👉 https://adhdhealthclinic.co.uk/autism/in-person-combined-autism-adhd-assessment/
Get 30% off an annual Tiimo subscription 👉 https://www.tiimoapp.com/offers/adhdchatter
Buy Alex's book entitled 'Now It All Makes Sense' 👉 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-All-Makes-Sense-Diagnosis/dp/1399817817
Order Alex’s latest book about Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria 👉 https://linktr.ee/adhdchatter?utm\_source=linktree\_profile\_share&ltsid=9ffd8709-06df-444c-9936-c136fbd14d6e
Producer: Timon Woodward
Recorded by: Hamlin Studios
Trailer editor: Ryan Faber
DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsKhurram Siddique· Guest0:00
A diagnosis of AuDHD doesn't lead to things joining together. And I've seen people separating, divorcing. Now it's all in the open, both the parties aren't able to live with that reality.
Alex· Host0:11
If there was a child and you could only tell them one thing about AuDHD, what would that be?
Khurram Siddique· Guest0:15
That AuDHD is not a mixture, it's a completely different neurobiology, which comes with a different presentation. It comes with a push and a pull that you do not experience in either autism or ADHD. It can be balancing act if you get it right, but if you get it wrong, it can be devastating for you.
Alex· Host0:31
"I wasn't lonely because nobody loved me, I was lonely because so few people truly knew me." Why do you think so many people with AuDHD feel lonely?
Khurram Siddique· Guest0:38
It's multiple factors. I, I think- Can I have just a second of your time?
Alex· Host0:43
If this podcast has helped you understand your brain or made you feel less alone, can you do me one favor? Can you hit the follow button? And I'll repay the favor by continuing to book the best and most exclusive conversations on this topic. Please enjoy the episode, and always remember, you're not broken, just different, and you have always been enough. [upbeat music] Dr. Khurram Siddique. Last time we did a fascinating episode on AuDHD, which is the dual diagnosis of- Yes ... autism and ADHD.
Khurram Siddique· Guest1:15
Sure.
Alex· Host1:16
And there was one comment on the YouTube video that really stood out. "I want stability, but I'm bored to death at my job. I want connection, but I'm terrified of intimacy. I want order, but I